Instep-support.



J; W. ARROWSMITH.

INSTEP SUPPORT. I APPLIUATION FILED MAYS, 191p.

1,103,464 Patented July 14,1914.

o 04 4 V I v I wl-twaooeo. I W

in ii. ills M1 .hpnlicclion file-'1 may 3, 1918.

To all wi'iom it may; concern Be it imown that l, Juices W. Armou SMITH,s cilisen of ihell'niicfl Slates. and a i'esideii oi the city oflvioi'i'isiown, in lhe county of ecu Sluice of New Jersey,

have inveniecl cerisin and useful Inn-H pi'ovemenls inllnsiep-fiuppciis, of which the following is e speciiicuiion.

The invention relates to supporters for the such oi the human instep andits objects ore, among others, to provide snoport of greater elasticitythan can he slimmed by consii'uc the slippers; c" olel of S'lfilcientthickness to suppoi-l the 's'eigl'it of the Ween-c1, to provide acomparatively soft and flexible support foi lhe middle and side of theinstep and to reduce the cost and increase the sciength and durshiliiyoi the device.

The invention consists in line construction, combination and arrangementof parts hereinafter described and cleimeil and illustrated in theaccompanying diswings,

in the said drawings Figure l is on under sicle view of u supporterembodying the im provements. Fig. 2 is a. vertical medial sec tion onthe line of l.

The main plate A oi the supporter is arched from end to emi from side toside in the usual n'uinnci' lo sppi'oximcle lhe under side of the archof the human instep but is somewhat flatter than usual, so as to leaveroom on the topfor the elastic supportin cushion The inner side of themain plate, instead of exieniling upwardly in the usual manner is cutoil, and terminotes in a short upwsivily turned portion A, which notonly assists in holding the cushion but adds strength so the support atthis point.

The elastic cushion B is preferably made of sponge rubber or someoliici' highly resilient substance so fez the body portion is concerned.and this hocly pOlllOIl extends over the plate from side to side,tapering from points forward and back of the front cncl rear rivets A?i'espectively lo the opposite edge of the plate. The cushion also tapersiron: the miilclle toward itsedges so as to give a incl downward curveto the upper surface with its apex at the middle. The side portion Bexteno s upwal dly at an angle of approximately only-live degrees andhas s curved outer edge. This side portion also lspers from the line ofjunction with the slain cushion b0 the outer edge, and

i'pecliication of Letters Patent.

' 'ul' cnieil l uly i Mil i No. $53,112.

is pi'eiei'zibly reinforced with canvas or some other relatively stillmateriel E, extending throughout the cushion. 7

The plate A is provicleci "with a depressed rib C extendinglongitudinally thereof pal allel Willi its inner edge, and thisdepressed rih receives a corresponding part of the cushion so as to holdthe said cushion against lateral. and longitudinal movement. it alsotends to strengthen the plate at the middle. The upturned inner edge A.also tends to hold the cushion in position by pressing against the inneredge of the body portion.

By this construction and arrangement a plate of great strength anddurability is pro 'ided foe, and the support given the desiredresilience and si liness. so that it will not unduly irritate the footof the wearer. A side portion is also provided which will yield to amuch greater degree than could be ctiained by a metal side portion, andwhich will adapt itself to the shape of the part of the foot with whichit comes in contact end of the some time exert s yielding pres suretending i0 restore the foot to its normel position.

The support is provided with a suitable flexible nonunetellic coveringD, and the rivets A pass through ils coveiglhe cushion near itsexircuiities and the platev and secure all of ihese parts together.

ill specific feature of the invention is the shape of the cushion andits position relative to the plate. It will he observed that the plateextends from the base of the celcsneuzn or os-cslcis lo the anteriorpart; of the metatsrsus the instep, and that the cushion is locatedbetween the calcaneum will the meistarsus thus bridging the arch ofandfills the triangular sgoece occupied by the under surface of lhe tarsusor middle part of the arch composed of the scaphoid, cuboid andcuneiform bones and the anterior portion of the asimgelus. In thismanner a yielding cushion is provided for the complex middle portion ofthe arch which is ordinarily extremely sensitive and painful in cases oiflail-fool: and at the same time means for raising the arch are providedin the metallic plate extending across the arch, which, as will beunderstood, may be bent 01" Worked to wise or lower the arch as desired.I

What if claim is:-

i. The combination of a. metallic plate adapted to extend from the baseof the calcaneum or os-calcis to the anterior part of the meta-tarsus,said plate approximating the Width of the bony structure of the instep 5arch, and a cushion of non-metallic resilient 10 the plate, said platebeing provided with a depression near its middle and with a turned upinner edge, said cushion having a portion located in said depression andhaving a portion of its under surface in contact with the 1 turnedupiinner edge of the plate.

2. In a-device of the character described the combination of a metalplate and a piece of elastic, non-metallic substance superimposed on thesaid plate and covering its me- 20 dial portion, the said plate'having agroove extending lmigitudinally thereof and the piece of elasticsubstance having a portion in combination of a n'ietal plate and a pieceof elastic, non-metallic substance superimposed on the said plate andcovering its medial portion, the said plate having a groove extendinglongitudinally thereof and the piece of elastic substance having aportion in said groove, and the plate also having an upturned edgeextending over a portion of the side of said piece of elastic substance.

\Vitness my hand this 28th day of April 1910, at the city of New York,in the county and State of New York.

JAMES \V. ARROWSMITIL \Vitnesses E. \V. ScHERn, Jr, M. A. Wns'mavnm.

